Cat and Nvidia. The disruptive role of AI

The name of Nvidia associated with Cat intuitively expresses the disruptive potential of AI within the off-highway machinery ecosystem, which obviously also impacts powertrain data management.

The link between Nvidia and Cat in the upgrading of the off-highway segment

Cat announced an expanded collaboration with Nvidia to drive innovation across industries through next-generation, AI-enhanced customer solutions and manufacturing systems.

“As AI moves beyond data to reshape the physical world, it is unlocking new opportunities for innovation — from job sites and factory floors to offices,” said Joe Creed, CEO of Caterpillar. “Caterpillar is committed to solving our customers’ toughest challenges by leading with advanced technology in our machines and every aspect of business. Our collaboration with NVIDIA is accelerating that progress like never before.”

“For a century, Caterpillar has built the industrial machines that shaped the world,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia. “In the age of AI,  Nvidia and Caterpillar are partnering across the full spectrum – from autonomous construction fleets to the AI data centers powering the next industrial revolution.”

The Nvidia Jetson Thor platform enables real-time AI inference on Cat construction, mining and power equipment, laying the foundation for next-generation autonomy and intelligent in-cab experiences. These upgrades will ensure assets are ready for AI-assisted and potentially autonomous operations. For example:

In-cab AI features: An intelligent operator assistant providing customers with personalized insights to help them lead with confidence and win with speed, as well as real-time coaching, productivity tips and safety alerts for operators.

Autonomy at scale: Construction and mining machines equipped with AI-driven recommendations, capable of processing billions of data points in milliseconds to navigate complex, variable jobsite conditions.

A new level of machine intelligence: Cat fleets powered by AI, machine learning, computer vision and edge computing that process sensor data in real time and serve as a digital nervous system for customers’ jobsites.

Cat AI Assistant

At CES 2026, Caterpillar debuted the Cat AI Assistant, a proactive partner embedded in Cat digital and onboard products that helps customers take confident action. The Cat AI Assistant, which was built using NvidiaRiva open speech models that deliver leading accuracy and lifelike voices, will answer questions and provide personalized recommendations on equipment, parts, maintenance and more.

In cab, it will use voice activation to enable settings, guide troubleshooting and connect users to the right resources across Cat apps and websites. It uses Caterpillar’s own trusted data stored on the Helios unified data platform, so customers get reliable, context-rich information to make daily work easier.

Manufacturing and Supply Chain Operations

To meet evolving industry needs, Cat is using its  Nvidia AI Factory to transform manufacturing and supply. Caterpillar’s manufacturing digital data platform takes advantage of this accelerated AI infrastructure and  Nvidia AI libraries to automate and accelerate important manufacturing processes, including forecasting and scheduling.

Caterpillar is also building physically accurate digital twins of its factories on  Nvidia Omniverse libraries and OpenUSD. With these digital twins, Caterpillar teams can design, simulate and optimize layouts and production processes before building in the real world.